Why You Should Choose Carpet

September 1st, 2021

Buyer's Guide

Opting for carpet in your home offers many benefits that you and your household can enjoy. The overall look and feel of a carpet can certainly add a homely touch to any room, with plenty of colours, pile types, and styles to choose from, you’ll soon see that carpets are both a practical and stylish choice.

If you happen to be unsure about carpeting your home, below we go into some of the reasons why you should consider doing so.

Why is carpet so popular?

Carpets are so popular for many reasons, but primarily for their overall look and feel. There’s nothing quite like sinking your toes into a sumptuously soft carpet, it brings you unmatched warmth and comfort – perfect for those cosy areas in your home such as your living room or bedroom. Providing natural heat and sound insulation throughout your home is certainly one of the main selling points of carpet.

Looking after your carpet is also hassle-free, as, unlike other flooring types, carpet doesn’t require mopping, sweeping, or scrubbing. Just a regular vacuum to keep any unwanted dust or dirt at bay. If you do happen to spill something on your brand-new carpet, not to worry as all our popular polypropylene carpets are stain-resistant and come complete with their own maintenance guides, so you’ll know exactly how to look after your dream carpet and keep it looking its best. Be sure to check out our carpet cleaning hacks for more handy top tips.

The soft and padded nature of carpet makes it the perfect choice for a family home. Carpets provide a softer surface than hard flooring thanks to the combination of soft carpet pile and durable backing – this is perfect if you’ve got little knees crawling around. It also means fewer accidental breakages will occur, as if a glass was to be dropped, for example, it’s less likely to shatter than if it was to fall onto a hard floor.

Another reason carpet is so popular is it holds up well to traffic, making it the perfect match for those busy areas in your home such as your stairs, your hallway, or your landing.

Plus, just because carpets are so functional does not mean they compromise on style or versatility. Our Home Choice carpets come in a huge array of designs, textures, and colours – there is a carpet to suit every room. They’re truly an investment, as, if you're hoping to redecorate or sell your home in the future, carpet never goes out of style.

What are the pros and cons of carpet?

No matter how careful you are, spills and stains are inevitable, luckily though, one of the main pros of carpets is they’re easy to clean. Our Home Choice carpets are all bleach cleanable, so you don’t have to worry about life’s little accidents. The best course of action though is to keep on top of any dirt with regular vacuuming, using barriers such as doormats, or potentially periodical professional cleaners. Most importantly, immediately attending to spills will be your best bet for keeping your carpet looking brilliant for longer. Below are some more pros of carpet:

As natural insulators, carpets help to keep a room warm. However, a thick, insulating layer of underlay underneath the carpet will further improve its insulating qualities. Carpets also prevent sound from travelling, so if you have a busy home, especially with children, this can be a huge help.

If you have young children or vulnerable people in your home, carpets can be a safer solution than hard flooring. In the event of slips and falls, carpets offer a softer landing, reducing the likelihood of injury.

Carpets are naturally soft underfoot, making them both a luxurious and comfortable option for homes. For those who like to walk around barefoot, or sit on the floor for any activities, this can be particularly beneficial.

There are few cons to having carpet, however, one to bear in mind, is they can potentially be problematic for those with respiratory issues as carpet can hold dust and other allergens. When compared with other flooring types they can capture stains and odours easier, which is why regular vacuuming and a quick reaction to spillages are essential.

What’s more, picking between polypropylene and wool carpets brings with them their own pros and cons. Your lifestyle will be the biggest determiner between the two. Polypropylene carpets are a lot easier to clean than wool carpets, and for that reason will be the most suitable choice for pets and children. Whilst wool carpets are incredibly luxurious, this is reflected in the price as they are typically more expensive due to their premium nature. Plus, they typically come in loop pile so they’re unsuitable for pets as there is a risk of their claws getting caught so this is certainly worth noting if you’re after a pet-friendly flooring.

Depending on your budget and the use of your room, there are certainly factors to consider when choosing between the two. What’s great about both types of carpets is the range of colour, styles, and textures. For more comparisons, be sure to check out our Wool vs Polypropylene blog.

Which is better rug or carpet?

One of the most common questions is – which is better rugs or carpets? Well, let’s start with rugs. Known and loved for being incredibly interchangeable which makes them a great alternative to carpet if you like to play around with styles and colours in your room. Rugs add an effortless and cosy touch to a hard floor, and for that reason you get the best of both worlds – the practicality of a hard floor with the warmth and comfort of a rug. A rug can also help to create a divide between two spaces whilst also being easier to clean than carpet. If you’d like more room inspiration, our Living Room Ideas blog has plenty.

On the other side, carpets provide warmth and sound insulation throughout the entire room unlike rugs. Plus, whilst typically more expensive initially, carpets will last longer and are therefore more of an investment than rugs in the long run.

Can you use rugs instead of carpet?

There are certainly similarities between rugs and carpets, for example both can both be used to brighten and cosy up a space. However, carpet is definitely a stronger and softer solution, whilst a rug can be soft underfoot, it isn’t as durable as a carpet and may be prone to slipping if anti-slip mats aren't attached. So, depending on your long-term needs, a carpet may be a better option for your room and a more worthwhile investment.